Golf Cart Accidents in Georgia: Rules, Insurance and Your Rights (Peachtree City Guide)

Georgia law does not use the word “golf cart” for most of these rules. It uses the term personal transportation vehicle, or PTV. Local ordinances may call the same vehicles “motorized carts.”

The PTV Definition

Under O.C.G.A. § 40-1-1, a PTV is a motor vehicle with at least four wheels that can go less than 20 miles per hour on level ground. It can weigh no more than 1,375 pounds empty and can carry no more than eight people. The definition also covers some older carts with at least three wheels and weighing 1,300 pounds or less, if a local government allowed them on local roads before January 1, 2012.

Low-Speed Vehicles Are Different

A low-speed vehicle (LSV) is a four-wheeled vehicle that can reach a speed above 20 but not above 25 miles per hour on a paved, level surface (O.C.G.A. § 40-1-1). It must be built or converted to meet federal safety standards for low-speed vehicles. Some carts sold as golf carts are really LSVs.

State law lets each city or county decide whether and where carts can be used. A local government that wants to set operating standards for PTVs must follow the PTV part of the Georgia Code (O.C.G.A. § 40-6-330).

Streets and Paths the City Designates

A local government may pass an ordinance that names the public streets or PTV paths where carts can be used (O.C.G.A. § 40-6-331(a)). A city may require carts to be registered locally, with a fee of no more than $15 (O.C.G.A. § 40-6-331(b)).

The Driver’s License Rule

State law says all PTV operators must have a valid driver’s license (O.C.G.A. § 40-6-331(a)). There is an exception for places whose local government passed an ordinance, before January 1, 2012, that allowed carts on streets without a license. So the license rules where you live can depend on your local ordinance and when it was passed.

Required Equipment

Georgia’s equipment law lists what PTVs must have. The list includes brakes, a reverse warning device, headlamps, tail lamps, reflectors, a horn and a rearview mirror (O.C.G.A. § 40-6-330.1(a)). There is an exception for carts used during daylight hours under local ordinances passed before January 1, 2012 (O.C.G.A. § 40-6-330.1(b)). That exception does not cover driving after dark, so lights matter at night.

Crossing State Highways

Carts may cross a road that is part of the state highway system only at a crossing designated for that purpose. The crossing must be built as an active grade crossing and marked with a W11-11 warning sign that drivers can see from both directions (O.C.G.A. § 40-6-331(d)(1)). On city and county streets, carts may cross only where the local government has designated a crossing (O.C.G.A. § 40-6-331(d)(2)).

Peachtree City says it has more than 100 miles of shared-use paths and more than 10,000 golf carts. The city’s cart and path rules are in its code of ordinances, in Chapters 70 and 78.

Register Your Cart With the City

Peachtree City requires carts to be registered within 10 days of purchase. New registrations are done in person at City Hall, 151 Willowbend Road. The owner must be at least 18. Under the city’s current rules, decals go on both the front and rear of the cart.

Size and Speed Limits

The city’s registration form says carts must weigh under 1,300 pounds and be no more than 50 inches wide, measured across the wheels. Carts cannot go faster than 20 miles per hour.

Low-Speed Vehicles on the Paths

The city allows LSVs on its shared-use paths only if they are limited to 20 miles per hour. They must be registered and insured under Georgia law and tagged through the Fayette County Tag Office. Only licensed drivers may operate them, and they need an amber strobe light.

Who May Drive a Cart

The rules about who may drive a cart in Peachtree City, including any age or supervision rules, are in the city code. Read the current version of Chapter 78 on the city’s website, or call City Hall at 770-487-7657, before you let a teen drive.

The Owner Signs for Responsibility

On the city’s registration form, the owner states that they accept legal and civil responsibility for actions committed while the cart is being used. The form also says the owner has been advised to get liability insurance for the cart.

More than one insurance policy may apply after a golf cart crash, and each one has its own terms. Here are the places to look.

When a Car or Truck Driver Caused the Crash

If a car or truck driver hit the cart, that driver’s auto liability insurance is usually the first place to look. Your medical bills, lost pay and pain can all be part of that claim.

When the Cart Driver Caused the Crash

If the person driving the cart caused the crash, look for a policy that covers the cart. That might be a separate golf cart policy or, in some cases, a homeowners policy. Some homeowners policies cover a cart only in limited situations, such as on the owner’s property, and others do not cover it at all.

Your Own Uninsured Motorist Coverage

Georgia auto policies must include uninsured motorist (UM) coverage unless a named insured rejects it in writing (O.C.G.A. § 33-7-11(a)). For the named insured and relatives living in the same home, UM coverage applies “while in a motor vehicle or otherwise” (O.C.G.A. § 33-7-11(b)(1)(B)). That can matter when an uninsured or underinsured driver hits you while you are riding in a cart. For a hit-and-run, the law requires physical contact, or an eyewitness other than you who backs up your account (O.C.G.A. § 33-7-11(b)(2)). Learn more about uninsured motorist coverage in Georgia.

Call 911 and Get a Police Report

Call 911 if anyone is hurt, and ask for an officer to come. In Peachtree City, the police say reports for collisions on public roads are on BuyCrash.com. Other reports, including some private property collisions, are requested through the city’s NextRequest portal. If your crash happened on a path, ask the officer how to get the report.

Get Medical Care

Get checked even if you feel fine. Piedmont Fayette Hospital, at 1255 Highway 54 West in Fayetteville, offers 24-hour emergency care.

Take Photos and Find Witnesses

Take photos of the cart, the other vehicle, the crossing, any signs and your injuries. Get names and phone numbers of anyone who saw what happened.

Be Careful With Insurance Calls

You do not have to give a recorded statement to the other driver’s insurer before you get advice. Do not sign a release until you understand what you are giving up.

Watch the Deadline

In most Georgia injury cases, you have two years from the crash to file a lawsuit (O.C.G.A. § 9-3-33). Insurance talks do not stop that clock.

Flack Injury Law represents people hurt in motor vehicle crashes, including crashes between cars and golf carts. Before founding the firm, Jonathan spent two and a half years on the insurance side of commercial truck, tractor-trailer and medical transport van cases. The firm serves Fayette County from its Midtown Atlanta office and meets clients by phone, video or in person. Learn more on our Peachtree City and Fayetteville car accident lawyer page.

The first conversation is free. If you hire the firm, it works on a contingency fee, and you owe no fee and no case costs unless the firm recovers money.

If you were hurt in a golf cart crash in Peachtree City or anywhere in Georgia, call or text (678) 653-0309. You can also reach us through our contact page. Jonathan Flack will explain your options for free.

Flack Injury Law is at 1201 W Peachtree St NW, Suite 2300, in Midtown Atlanta. Reading this page or contacting the firm does not create an attorney-client relationship.